All Our Own • Halstead.

4| AFTERMATH

─────❝4| AFTERMATH❞─────

After Antonio and Voight found out some information regarding Diego's kidnapper, they recruited the unit to Jin's office and were now listening to a recording from one of Pulpo's men.

"He's running. Nothing about Diego."

"I've pinged his cell to the west of Adams Tower," Jin said, "triangulating with the city center."

While Jin continued doing his magic, Voight looked at the four detectives in the room with him, "I want men deployed to all major transportation routes out of the city—Midway, O'Hare. I'm including all expressways."

Jin smiled in satisfaction. "He's at Union Station." With pats on the shoulder, the unit exited the room and went directly to their cars.

Marina was paired up with Antonio, with her driving—none of them trusted the distressed father behind the wheel. Marina sent Antonio glances through the corner of her eye, trying to sense what he was feeling. She wanted to say something to him, but genuinely, she had never been in a situation like this so her words wouldn't be of any consolation.

They entered the station fast, Voight ordering everyone to hit the floor and start to look for the boy. Although Antonio had a device telling him the location, the unit decided it was better to split up to cover more ground. They all went in different directions, desperately looking for Diego.

Lindsay's voice came through their radios. "I see him. Boarding a bus for Indianapolis."

Everything was fast-paced. Talking to the bus driver, hatching a plan with her, and being on the move to act it out. Still, Marina was feeling some kind of adrenaline she had never felt before, it was a weird sensation that she tried to push away while on the mission.

The next day after Diego was home safe and sound, they were going to have the funeral for their fallen comrade, Jules Willhite. It was a very long and dreadful service for Marina, having attended those more times than she would like to count. They still hit her pretty roughly.

"Officers! Attention!"

Everyone got into position.

"Present arms!"

The officers saluted the casket of their fallen friend and her family.

Before Marina could think, Voight called the whole unit to the office. He guided everyone to the garage where the cage was located.

"I've been giving the go-ahead to run Intelligence the way I want to run it." Voight look at his team. "No interference. This is our unit now."

Marina looked around her at her new permanent team.

"You do things my way, our way, and you'll unclip your badge knowing you did the right thing." Although Marina knew Hank Voight's reputation in the CPD, she was ready to trust the man and her team whenever and whatever the cost.

"The police standing next to you are your family. And to me, there's nothing more important."

The six detectives and officers looked at each other, some stares lingering longer than expected. Their looks sent an understanding that they were in this until the end.

"If you're in, stay here with me."

———

Marina was tired.

No, scratch that. Marina was exhausted. She felt everything of the last week come back to her and it was destroying her inside.

So what did she do when that happened? She drank, she drank herself silly until she felt darkness consume her.

Tonight was no different, she did exactly that. But she didn't manage to drink herself unconscious because her best friend entered her house and found her.

Susana Villa has been Marina's best friend since they were in preschool, having much in common and hating everyone else. Susana has been there for Marina in the darkest moments of her life and vice versa, so she knew exactly what was happening with her friend.

"Mari, come on."

Marina heard her voice and smiled. "Susi! Haven't seen you in forever," she slurred her words. "I didn't know you had a twin."

Susana knew she was already seeing double and she hated that. it was now going to get harder to get her to bed and sober her up. "Flaca, let's get you changed and to bed." Susana went to grab her arm when Marina flinched away.

"Bebe, what happened?"

Marina finally looked at her eyes and the tears started. Again.

She sobbed, releasing everything she bottled up during the rescue mission and funeral. Marina felt suffocated by being so strong when she was really falling apart. Slowly, Susana approached her and without a second to spare, Marina fell into her arms, looking for the warmth and comfort only her best friend could give her.

"Shh, don't worry. I'm here."

Marina let out a strangled sob, holding her tighter, afraid that she was going to slip between her fingers just like the rest of them. "Please don't leave me."

Susana felt her heart break.

"I won't, baby. Never."

"We almost lost Antonio's son, and we already lost Jules. I don't know how to handle this anymore."

Susana knew this conversation was coming soon, but she wanted Marina to be sober enough to have it. "Mari, you know what you have to do," she sighed, "we already talked about it."

Marina separated from her friend and sniffled. "I know. I just tried to avoid it," she hiccupped.

Since Marina came back from the army and started her career as a detective, Susana and Dallas (their other best friend) have tried to convince and encourage Marina to attend therapy for her PTSD, trauma, and unresolved issues, including the tragic passing of her younger sister, Ana Lucia. Marina has avoided the topic and the actual visit for months now, but deep down, even in her drunken state, she knew she needed to go.

"I will go but please never leave me."

—————
Author's Note:
Pretty uneventful chapter but it's a really important one. You get to see how things are affecting Marina and how badly she handles it, but she's going to work on it, and it will be discussed next chapter.

Sorry for taking so long with this update, I've been extremely busy and I hope the next one doesn't take me another year to update.

Hope you enjoy and don't forget to vote and comment.

—A